How will Cowboys change to DeMarvion Overshown’s injury? Scheme might supply responses

Perhaps the Cowboys needto thinkabout preventing Seattle throughout the NFL preseason.

At the threat of sounding superstitious, Lumen Field in August hasn’t offered them with favorable experiences. That’s where Tony Romo saw his time as beginning quarterback end in 2016, and here in 2023 it’s where the Cowboys lost 2 amazing novices for the season on Saturday night.

Word came back on the MRIs for both DeMarvion Overshown and John Stephens Jr. on Sunday, verifying the worry that both had suffered ACL tears throughout the Cowboys’ 22-14 loss to the Seahawks.

As far as season-enders go, these aren’t the world-stoppers groups too typically experience throughout their summertime exhibits. Overshown, a third-round choice in the spring, was revealing enormous possible however was not ensured of a beginning area. Stephens was looking more and more like an undrafted complimentary representative who would make the last lineup, though on the back end of the depth chart.

The Cowboys still have the advantage of depth at tight end, with Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot as well as second-round draft choice Luke Schoonmaker still hanging around.

It’s a harder tablet to swallow in the case of Overshown. Not just was he revealing possible, with 9 takeson in 5 quarters of work, however that capacity looked like it may show helpful at a thin linebacker area.

This is your weekly pointer that, behind five-year starter Leighton Vander Esch, the Cowboys sorely absence tested depth here. Damone Clark is having a likewise excellent training camp however has played in simply 10 NFL videogames. Behind them, the trio of Jabril Cox, Devin Harper and Malik Jefferson haveactually integrated for 24 NFL takeson.

Yes, it’s likewise real that Micah Parsons plays the position from time to time. But with Parsons now developed as one of the videogame’s preeminent pass-rushers, the Cowboys would certainly love to discover somebody else to manage off-ball responsibilities.

Obviously, Overshown was doingnothave in experience. But at 6-3, 229 pounds and plenty quick, the transformed college security looked talented enough to discover a function in Dan Quinn’s varied variety of defensive looks.

That simple reality may assistance describe what Quinn will do without him.

It’s crucial to keepinmind that securities — specifically, Jayron Kearse and Donovan Wilson — haveactually filled comparable functions for Quinn throughout his time as the Cowboys’ defensive planner. The Cowboys utilized penny workers (defensive developments with 6 defensive backs) at the fifth-highest rate in the NFL. The flexibility of his securities was a huge factor why.

Of his 819 snaps last season, Kearse invested 49% of his time either in the box or on the line of skirmish. Throw in 22% of his snaps covering somebody, mostlikely a tight end, in the slot and you get a clear image.

Wilson played deep in protection a more robust 35% of the time, however he was still in or near the box for 58% of his 1,006 snaps.

If Quinn feels like he requires to, it’s simple to envision him upping those numbers to balancedout any weakpoint he sees in the middle.

This is the conserving grace of the Cowboys’ depth chart, and mostlikely the factor they looked thin at linebacker in the veryfirst location. Nickel defense (five protective backs and 2 linebackers) hasactually endedupbeing base workers, as utilizing 3 real linebackers on a routine basis is a thing of the past. If a adequately huge, physical security can fill the function of a nickel linebacker, all the muchbetter for combating the speed of modern-day NFL offenses.

It will be intriguing to see if this injury modifications things. Between the duo of Vander Esch and Clark, as well as the depth at security, Quinn might have adequate bodies to fight the loss — even more so if Cox or Harper is prepared to take a big action forward.

Still, it’s a long season and a physical videogame. It won’t be unexpected if the Cowboys appearance exterior their lineup to reinforce their numbers, presuming they can discover anybody. Longtime veteran Anthony Barr, who played for Dallas last fall, and Rashaan Evans are offered. Beyond that, the finest choices simply may be people they can indication or trade for throughout lineup cuts next week.

[Helman: Why the Cowboys’ most interesting preseason storyline is tough to evaluate]

It’s a downer of a advancement for a group that had prevented the injury bug for the most part this offseason. Still, it doesn’t appear like something that requires to significantly impact their prepares for September — . Given that linebacker currently looked thin priorto the weekend, it’s a circumstance they’d be clever to keep a close eye on.

David Helman covers the Dallas Cowboys for FOX Sports. He formerly invested 9 seasons covering the Cowboys for the group’s authorities site. In 2018, he won a local Emmy for his function in producing “Dak Prescott: A Family Reunion” about the quarterback’s time at Mississippi State. Follow him on Twitter at @davidhelman_.